


Going Home

by Suzi



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Spoilers, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-02-04 19:53:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18611386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suzi/pseuds/Suzi
Summary: SPOILERS FOR ENDGAMEAs Steve returns the stones to their proper places, he meets people he never thought he would see again.A/N: If you haven't seen Endgame yet, you will not only get confused, you'll read spoilers you don't want to get from me. Go see the movie.





	Going Home

**Author's Note:**

> This story basically is what Steve experiences at he is returning the Infinity Stones. He'll meet people and get new ideas and thoughts that leads him to a choice. ENJOY!

 

            **MORAG**

 

Returning the infinity stones to the places – and the times – the Avengers had gotten them from was nowhere near as hard as it was retrieving them. It had surprised him to find an unconscious man lying on the ground of the planet Morag. Just next to the entrance of what looked to belong in a fantasy book. Steve supposed that it must have been the Peter Quill that Rocket had told stories of. Rocket told a lot of stories of Peter Quill and the rest of the so-called Guardians of the Galaxy. When the heavy emotions came during those miserable five years, he would always brush the sorrow aside and tell funny stories of how stupid his friends were. And then he would smile and say: “And that’s why I love ’em.” It was his way of coping.

Looking down at the unconscious Quill now, Steve couldn’t help but feel a need to help him. Not really knowing how, just to wake him up and give him the stone. Though he couldn’t. It wouldn’t be right. And Steve knew he would be okay in the end. He was probably in the future now, giving Rocket more stupid stories to tell. So Steve walks past him and heads for the huge doorway to the temple – or whatever it was – to return the stone.

 

 

            **ASGARD**

 

Going to Asgard was actually really exciting. Because he had never really seen Thor’s home before. But he had heard so many stories of how beautiful it was. And it turns out that words is not enough to describe it. It was marvelous. As if it belonged in a fairytale. As if it shouldn’t be allowed to exist in the real world. But it does. Granted, it’s not exactly what Steve is comfortable with, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t enjoy his short visit.

He walked down the big, golden corridors of the … castle? Is that the right word? Steve wasn’t sure. However, he stopped short and hid behind a wide column as he heard a familiar voice. A voice of a friend.

Steve had been staying in the 21. century for about ten years now, and all of the friends he had met had changed a lot through those years. Himself too. Though peeking at a determined Thor walking down the corridor with a couple of armored, asgardian friends tailing behind him, Steve realized that Thor was maybe the one who changed the most. And Steve couldn’t really point out how. As though he became rougher, but also softer over the years. Sadder, but more joyful. More determined, but more willing to give up. Steve didn’t blame him. He didn’t just lose his friends in the infinity war, he lost his home, his people and his family.

With yet another urge to help another friend, Steve slipped out from behind the column when Thor and his friends where out of sight. It was time to return the reality stone.

 

 

            **VORMIR**

 

The soul stone was not as easy to return as the power and the reality stone. Not that he encountered any conflict or trouble at all when he got there. Although every memory he had of Natasha was spinning in his head, making it hard not to refuse to go to Vormir. Though knowing what he had to do, Steve went there anyways.

He wasn’t really prepared to meet the beauty of the place though. It was funny really. It wasn’t beautiful exactly. It was grim and dark and dystopian, and made feel shivers up your spine. What was it Nebula had called it? A dominion of death.  Centre of celestial existence. He was standing at the very highest point of some sort of mountain or construct. He wasn’t sure what it was. He carefully stepped to the edge of the high mountain and looked down and the ground many hundreds of meters below. There was no one down there. It was empty. Even so, he felt something twist painfully in his chest. He simply knew.

“You are right, Steve, son of Joseph. This was where your friend made the ultimate sacrifice to claim the soul stone.”

Steve was not prepared for that. He assumed he was alone. This wasn’t really the place one would come across other people. So he looked shocked at the cloaked figure that stood behind him. However, the shock didn’t last long as he frowned his eyes at the red face of the hooded person.

“Schmidt?”

“Not anymore. I became someone new a long time ago. I am the guardian and the guide to the soul stone. However, that doesn’t mean I have forgotten my past life. Hello again, Captain.”

While knowing he does not really have any good reason to, he trusts Schmidt’s words and stands down.

“I thought you died in the war,” he says.

“On my last day on Earth, the power of the tesseract opened up to me. However, now we both know that the tesseract in itself is uninteresting. The power comes from the stone inside it. And the stone inside it is the space stone. It could have killed me, yes, but instead it banished me millions of lightyears away and tasked me to be a guide for those who seek the soul stone.”

“So you’ve been here ever since the war?”

“Yes.”

Steve chuckles and sighs. “I guess everyone we thought died in the war only comes back.”

Schmidt ignores the joke. “You have come here to return the soul stone. It is a wise thing to do.” He holds out his hand to receive the stone, though Steve does not make a move yet.

“If I do give it back, will the deal or whatever this is be undone? What we gave for it, can we get it back?”

“She gave her life, Captain. The sacrifice was made. She is gone, and no one and nothing can get her back.”

Steve sighs heavily and closes his eyes. He didn’t expect anything else. It was only a tiny speck of hope, but it’s gone now. Natasha is gone now. Forever.

“Then let me say goodbye at least.”

Schmidt nods and turns to give him privacy.

Steve sits down on the edge, his feet dangling off the cliff. He didn’t really say anything. Just reminiscing in old memories of Natasha. Her smile, her laugh, her cold and murderous stare in combat. Natasha was one of those friends that made the 21. century easier to live with. He owed her a lot.

“Thanks, Nat.”

 

 

            **NEW YORK SANCTUM**

 

Three down, three to go. And two of them where in New York, 2012. Well, three of them, but Steve was only meant to return the stone from where he had gotten them. So, two of them. And seeing as one of those stones made Steve’s already painful sorrow stronger, he knew which to get first. The time stone. Steve had never really been to the New York sanctum before. Not before the Infinity War or during the five years. He never had a reason to. Though Tony had briefly told him about Dr. Stephen Strange and the “museum full of wizards”. Steve knew Tony had had a tendency to joke too much about things. However, walking through the sanctum, Steve had to admit it did look like a museum. It was Asian decorated and had glass boxes standing on pillars with antique artifacts. There was no one around and no pillar or glass box for the stone. Where was he supposed to leave it?

“Hello.”

The voice surprised Steve as he turned to face the woman. She was bald and wore a yellow, Asian robe that fitted the theme of the sanctum. She smiled confidently and has a wise aura about her. Steve could have sworn she wasn’t there a second ago.

“You must be here to return the infinity stone,” she said. “I must say it surprises me that you succeeded.”

“Not without bruises,” Steve chuckles. “You must be the Ancient One. Bruce told me about you.”

“Yes, I am. I guard the time stone. At least until Dr. Strange is ready for it.”

Steve nods. “I’ll tell him you said hi when I get home.”

“I have a feeling you won’t.”

Steve looks up at that, slightly offended. “I’m sorry.”

“You say that you will get home. And you are right, you will. Although I would advise you to think for a minute when you answer this question: Where is your home?”

Steve frowns and takes a solid moment before asking: “What do you mean?”

“You are a man out of time, but now you have the power to control time. So, what choices will you make, Captain?”

 

 

            **STARK TOWER**

 

Still in 2012, he went to Stark Tower with gritted teeth. He really didn’t want to be here. Because not only was his former self in the same building, but also Tony and Natasha, and he’s not sure what he would do if he saw them now.

He was standing in the top suite were Loki was defeated. The place looked like a mess. The floor had a big hole in it and the glass walls were shattered, letting the wind blow into the suite, making it chilly.

Steve looked around for a while, just taking the moment in. He felt ridiculously sad and nostalgic. It almost scared him to think that he missed the days where Loki was his biggest problem. Things used to be so much easier. So little weight on his shoulders. But there’s no going back.

He was so deeply dwelling on his dark thoughts, that he didn’t notice the doors to the elevators open.

“Capsicle?”

_Oh, shit. Please, no._

He turns around and barely manages to keep it together as he sees Tony’s confused face.

“I thought you left with the others.”

“Tony,” was all he managed to say. What else was he supposed to say? It took so much not to just let all the rules go and just hug him here and now.

“Yes? What is it?” When Steve doesn’t answer, Tony continues. “I came up here again because I’ve had a shit day and I really need a drink. You’re welcome to join.”

Tony stops as he looks at the shattered glass walls and destroyed suite. “Oh, yeah, forgot about that. Well, this just sucks. I finished the tower like two days ago.” He sighs heavily. “Oh, well, never mind. I’m bruised and sweaty and still coping with the fact that apparently aliens exist, and I don’t feel like fixing this right now.”

He walks over to the bar and pours himself a drink and another for Steve. Then he walks back to Steve and hands him the drink, but Steve doesn’t move to take it.

He knows he should probably say something. He’s been too quiet for too long and it’s starting to get weird. However, he can’t. All he can see is Tony lying on the ground of that haunting battlefield with the right side of his body burnt crispy and his dark and glassy eyes empty.

“Hey, I know you’re constantly brooding over your pointless existence in the 21. century, but this standing-completely-still-for-to-minutes-act is taking it to a new step, don’t you think? Just take the fucking drink,” Tony says after a while before shoving the drink into Steve’s hand and goes to sit on the dusty couch.

Steve snaps out of the traumatic flashback at that. He’s got to keep it together. He’s got be 2012-Steve.

“You know I can’t get drunk, right?” he says.

“Really?” Tony chuckles. “Sucks to be you.”

Steve moves to sit beside Tony and sets the drink on the table without so much as a sip.

“Are you okay, Tony?”

Tony looks at Steve with an offended look. “Am I okay? I just flew a fucking nuke into a wormhole in space and you’re asking me if I’m okay?”

“Yeah, I guess that was a stupid question.”

“No, I mean, after what you said on the Helicarrier. I fly a nuke in space, and all you’ve got to say is ‘are you okay?’ How about ‘I’m sorry. I was wrong’”.

“What did I say on the Helicarrier?” Steve asks confused.

“You don’t even remember?”

Steve shrugs. “So much has happened. It feels like years since we were on the Helicarrier.”

Tony sips from his drink, before he continues. “You said – and I quote: ‘You’re not the guy to make the sacrifice play. To lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you.’ Well, guess what, Captain America. The wire was a nuclear bomb and the other guy was the entire planet.”

_No, Tony. The wire was six stones, and the other guy was the entire universe._

“You’re right. I did say that,” Steve said as he let shame cloud over him. “I’m sorry. I was wrong. _Really_ wrong.”

Tony sighs and stares into the liquid in the drink. “Well, we survived … somehow. Now I want to drink till I can sleep and forget about today.”

“Well, then I’ll leave you to it.” Steve says and stands up, wanting to leave the room before he says something he shouldn’t. However, when he is halfway to the elevators, he stops and looks back at Tony. This will be the last time he will ever see Tony. Ever.

“Hey, Tony,” Steve says, and Tony looks up at him with tired eyes. “Thank you. What you did, it meant a lot. You saved everyone. And I’m never going to forget that.”

Not realizing they’re talking about two different things, Tony genuinely smiles. “Careful, Captain. You get too sappy you might lose that patriotic determination everyone is so fond of.”

Steve doesn’t laugh or even smile, neither does he make a patronizing comment as he might’ve done way back when. He simply stares at Tony who is too carefree to notice the nostalgia in Steve’s eyes.

“Goodbye, Tony.”

“See yah around!”

“See yah,” Steve whispers almost inaudibly and walks out the of the suite.

 

 

            **CAMP LEHIGH**

 

  1. 07\. 1970. New Jersey.



He hadn’t realized it at the time, but not only was this Steve’s birthplace, it was also his birthday today. Well, not the right year, but the date. And granted, it wasn’t Steve’s birthplace, it was Captain America’s. But then again, it was never really Steve Rogers America was honoring. It was always Captain America. Because everyone knew who Captain America was, no one really knew Steve. Except for Peggy. And Howard. And wasn’t it just great that both of them were here. Now.

Steve pulled down the caps lower, not wanting to get caught. God knows what will happens if someone finds out that Captain America is among them, alive. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like anyone was suspicious. And the lady that Steve had come across the last time he and Tony were there was nowhere near in sight.

Heading for the secret elevator they had previously taken, Steve prayed that he wouldn’t come across any kind of trouble. He has had enough of trouble lately. Fortunately, he easily got to the lower levels and was currently trying to find the right container for the tesseract. Which wasn’t easy without Tony’s high-tech glasses. And it was exactly when he had found the right one, trying to open it and put it inside, that he heard a voice coming from down the hallway.

“You just get back to the car, Jarvis. I only forgot my …”

_Oh, shit._

Did he really have to do this? I was almost cruel. He just said goodbye to the son. Now he has to say goodbye to the father?

Of course, from the distance, Howard couldn’t see his face properly. He didn’t recognize Steve. The only thing Howard saw was a stranger with a caps covering his eyes and a blue light illuminating his face, holding the tesseract in his hands by the container that was supposed to keep it safe in a very secret and very secure storage unit. And that was exactly why Howard yelled out: “ _Security!_ ”

Though, before he had the chance to hit an alarm button or yell even more, Steve – still holding the tesseract – ran to him to stop him from bringing unwanted attention.

“No, wait! Howard, stop! It’s me!”

It wasn’t until Steve was standing a few feet away and he pulled off the caps that Howard stopped his shouting and stared at Steve with a shocked expression.

“Steve?”

Steve looked around carefully, trying to figure out if anyone heard Howard yelling. Though no one came.

“I’m not really supposed to be here. No one can know I’m here.”

Howard wasn’t really listening to him. He was still trying to cope with the fact that his old friend was back from the dead.

“I don’t understand,” he mutters. “How are you … how are you here? How are you alive?”

Steve cheekily smiles. “That’s a really long story.”

“And you’re still young.”

“That depends. Either I’m 38 or somewhere around a hundred.”

“What?” Howard asks confused.

Steve waves it away. “It’s good to see you again, old friend.”

 Howard kept the stunned face for a long moment before his face softened and he smiled. “You too, old pal.”

Steve smiled once more and turned to get back to the container with Howard following him, trusting his friend.

“Why are you taking the tesseract?”

“I’m not. I’m returning it. Me and … my friend borrowed it earlier. And now I’m giving it back,” he says while setting the tesseract inside the container.

“And where is you ‘friend’ now?”

Steve looks down at the ground for a moment. “He couldn’t make it.”

“Might I ask what you used it for?”

“That’s a story far too complicated to explain in far too little time. I’m sorry, Howard. I can’t really tell you. I gotta get home as soon as I can.”

“And where is your home?”

Steve takes a moment. The Ancient One saw this coming, didn’t she? It makes Steve smile. And as she advised, he takes a moment to think.

“I’m not exactly sure.”

“But you _are_ leaving?” Howard says, almost disappointed. “She doesn’t deserve that, you know.”

Steve knows who Howard is talking about. And he’s right. She really doesn’t. She deserves so much more. Sure, Natasha and Sam and Bucky and Tony and everyone else were his friends and he would always love them. But not like he loved Peggy. Because it was only with her that he felt truly comfortable, like he was meant to be by her side and nowhere else. And it was that thought that made him realize where home actually is.

“No, she doesn’t,” Steve says, his smile growing larger by the second. “Thank you, Howard.”

“For what?”

Steve doesn’t answer. He hits the button on his wrist and the white and red suit folds around him, making Howard jump in surprise.

“What the …?”

“One more trip,” Steve mumbles. As he is about to hit the button once more, he suddenly remembers one last thing. “I hear you’re expecting a boy. Congratulations.”

“How do you know it’s a boy? I didn’t know it’s a boy.”

“Take care of him, Howard. He was the bravest man I knew.”

“What?”

“Goodbye,” Steve says one last time before he’s gone.

 

 

            **HOME**

 

Steve was standing outside a white house. It was beautiful. So different from the huge and modern compound he had been living in the last five years of his life. This little, cute house was so much better. This will probably be the house Steve will spend the rest of his life in. And it will be amazing.

He’s not sure what year it is. Sometime in the early 50’s. He has so much time. Time to just live for once. He remembers Tony telling him to get a life like this. Peaceful. Quiet. _“It’s called taking a page out of the Barton book,” Tony had said._

He walks up the steps to the door, breathing steadily. Then he knocks. His old life ended. His new one began.

The door opens and Steve is met by the one person he thought he had lost.

“I’m sorry I’m late for our dance.”

**Author's Note:**

> I was so psyched to see Endgame and after I saw it, some ideas came to me. So I wrote those ideas and created this little pic for you. It's also my first Avengers fic, probably won't be the last though. Hope you like it and leave a comment. Those always make my day! BYE!


End file.
